Anytype

Notion-shaped, but the data is encrypted and lives on your machine.

By Any Association · since 2019 · anytype.io · Open source

7.4

B · out of 10

Anytype gives you objects, types and relations rather than plain notes, which lets a workspace behave like a small local database. Everything is end-to-end encrypted and stored locally first, syncing peer to peer or through a node you can run yourself. It is the closest thing to a private Notion.

How it scores

  • Features25% of score

    8.0

    Depth and breadth of what the app can do.

  • Ease of use20% of score

    7.4

    Speed, polish and how long it takes to feel at home.

  • AI15% of score

    4.2

    Quality and usefulness of the built-in AI, not just its presence.

  • Sync & reliability15% of score

    7.6

    How dependably notes move between devices.

  • Value15% of score

    8.8

    What you get for what you pay.

  • Platform coverage10% of score

    8.4

    How many places you can actually use it.

Pricing

$99/year

Free tier: Full app, local storage and a starter allowance of network sync.

The Builder plan (about $99/year) buys more sync storage and a unique name. Self-hosting stays free.

Platforms

  • Windows
  • macOS
  • iOS
  • Android
  • Linux
  • Web

42 tracked features supported

What it does well

  • End-to-end encrypted and local-first, with no account required to start
  • Types and relations give real database structure offline
  • Multiplayer spaces without handing your notes to a server you do not control
  • Self-hostable sync node for the properly paranoid

Where it falls short

  • No AI features to speak of
  • The object model takes a while to click
  • Export is decent but the format is still its own thing
  • Smaller community than Obsidian or Notion, so fewer answers online

Our take

The strongest private alternative to Notion right now, as long as you can live without AI.

Best for: People who want a Notion-style workspace without the cloud.

Privacy & ownershipAll-in-one workspaceLinked thinking / PKM

Feature by feature

YesPartlyVia pluginNo

Capture & input

How notes get into the app in the first place.

  • Voice recording
  • Audio transcription
  • Speaker identification
  • Meeting recording
  • Handwriting / stylus
  • Drawing canvas
  • OCR / handwriting search
  • Web clipperPartly
  • Share extension
  • Quick captureVia plugin
  • Images
  • PDF & documents
  • Document scanning

Organization

How notes are structured, linked and found again.

  • Tags
  • Folders / notebooksPartly
  • Multi-level foldersPartly
  • Internal links
  • Backlinks
  • Graph view
  • Databases / boards
  • Daily notes / journalPartly
  • Note templates
  • Saved searches
  • Pins / favorites
  • Merge notes

AI

Assistants, generators and meaning-based search.

  • AI chat / writing assistant
  • AI agent with tools
  • Custom AI agents
  • Semantic search
  • AI web search
  • Connected apps for AI
  • Prompt templates
  • Custom AI instructions
  • AI memory
  • Scheduled AI tasks
  • Flashcard generator
  • Spaced repetition
  • Quiz generator
  • Fill in the blank
  • Mind maps
  • AI image generation
  • Infographic generator
  • Slide deck generator
  • AI mini apps
  • Brainrot video generator
  • AI audio overview
  • Bring your own model
  • AI job notifications

Writing & editing

What the editor itself can actually do.

  • MarkdownPartly
  • Rich text
  • Code blocks
  • Math / LaTeX
  • TablesPartly
  • Find and replace
  • Version history
  • Note infoPartly

Sync & data ownership

Where your notes live and how easily they leave.

  • Cloud sync
  • Sync through your own cloud
  • Offline support
  • Offline-first / own your data
  • Self-hosting
  • End-to-end encryption
  • Locked notesPartly
  • Daily backupPartly
  • Import
  • Export
  • Public API
  • Command line tool
  • Remote MCP serverPartly
  • Plugins / extensions

Sharing & collaboration

Working with other people inside your notes.

  • Share with people
  • Real-time collaborationPartly
  • Comments
  • Public sharing

Experience

The everyday polish around the writing surface.

  • Dark mode
  • Custom themesPartly
  • Multi-language
  • Command palette
  • Split viewPartly
  • Focus mode
  • Home screen widgets
  • Apple Shortcuts

Compare with

All Anytype alternatives

Anytype vs Grape

Adds: AI agent with tools, AI memory

9.0

Anytype vs Notion

The all-in-one workspace that swallowed the note app category.

8.5

Anytype vs Obsidian

Plain markdown files on your disk, with a plugin ecosystem bolted on top.

8.4

Anytype vs Craft

Documents that look designed before you touch anything.

8.1